Thursday, April 30, 2009

I can't take credit for the good post title because my cousin Leah (a wine & food expert and blog post title genius) came up with it. When I recently did this post about yummy sweet things in NYC, she said if you do a post like that regarding San Fran, I have the perfect title! Since I spent a bunch of years living up near San Francisco and still have many friends and family who live there, I figured that I would share a few chocolate and sweet treat ideas that I like from that area. They all ship, so you can order them no matter where you live. I have tasted most of these or they have been highly recommended to me by someone who lives in SF.Recchiuti - They make a variety of different chocolates, but the Fleur De Sel Caramel I had was unreal. I also noticed on the site today that they have these smores bites that look really delicious.Elbow Chocolates- I have not tasted these artisanal chocolates, but Food & Wine magazine gave them the #1 ranking of their top 10 Chocolates and I know a friend that did get them and said they were amazing. The flavors are also really unique.

Coco-Luxe - How can you go wrong with a place that has a Shoo Pie Fly Caramel that has rich, deep black strap molasses caramels enrobed in dark chocolate and complimented with Salish Smoked Salt.

Charles Chocolates - I have had chocolates from here before and they are really good, but I'm most enchanted with an item that I saw on their site recently. They do chocolates that come in a beautiful box made of chocolate that I'm dying to send to someone.

All of this sounds so good, I'm wishing I had some chocolate right now.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

It's always tough to stay positive, but especially right now I think people are finding it extremely difficult and I'm no exception. I've been trying to do all I can to believe that I'll get a new job soon and someday my whole paycheck will come from writing, but it's good to have examples of people that have succeeded at it, to look to for inspiration. One great mind that's useful to look to on this topic is Michael J Fox.

Michael J. Fox is a tremendous example of what one can do if you choose to be positive. He is struggling with Parkinson's Disease, but instead of feeling sorry for himself he has actively decided to be an optimist and appreciate the parts of his life that are going well. He has made it clear that it didn't happen overnight and that when first diagnosed he didn't immediately find his way to being positive about it, but he eventually got to that place. His recent book -- Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist is fantastic and a must read for anyone whether they are struggling or not. In the book and on tv he manages to use humor to cope and lighten the mood and that's always a good idea. His earlier book, Lucky Man, is also worth checking out.

Last night he was on Jimmy Kimmel (click here if you want to see it) and was completely hilarious and charming. He really hit home the message about choosing to focus on the things that are within your control and not spending time fretting over those things you can't change. He also did a special that is going to air on ABC in early May all about optimism that looks really good. There's a clip of the show here. By the way, if you have missed him on Rescue Me recently, try to check out the next episode. Here's a great clip of him and Denis Leary in a scene. He might not act as much anymore, but he certainly hasn't lost his chops.

So try today to focus on the positive, control what you can and let go of the rest. It's a lesson I'm going to try and put into practice today as well.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Giving typical gifts is easy and painless, but with a tiny bit of effort you can give things that have a bit more fun and whimsy to them that people will really appreciate. It's hard to find fun maternity gifts that have a bit of spirit to them, but over the years I have found a few that I have recommended to various bosses and given to friends that have been big hits. Here's a few I like:Dear Johnnies Hospital Nightgowns - These are really stylish and comfortable hospital gowns instead of the scary (sometimes butt baring) type from the hospital.Childish Maternity Clothing - This is a great brand for really stylish and chic maternity clothes for pregnant women. They also have adorable kids clothes with a bit of rocker edge to them. This company was founded by Skye Hoppus (wife of Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 who was once an MTV exec). She also wrote a great book called Rock Star Momma (that's about staying stylish while pregnant) that would be a good add-on to any of these gifts.

If you want to get a cute and reasonably priced diaper bag, I love many of the bags fromSkiphop. If you want to go crazy and your budget is totally open this Rebecca Minkoff bag is gorgeous. If you want to get something for the father to be you might consider a bag from Diaper Dudes because they are made especially for dads who don't want to carry around a pink or flowery type bag. The Diaper Dudes bags are stylish and at a really reasonable price point.

Two companies that I love for baby products also make great products for moms as well. Erbaviva is organic/eco-friendly and they make incredible stuff for both baby and mom that's all natural. One item on their site that looks new is this Quease-Ease lipbalm. Also Mustela makes a line of products for the mom to be.

So use one of these ideas or think of something unique on your own that will make the pregnant person you know smile when they get it. I promise the little extra effort will make all the difference.

Friday, April 24, 2009

I have mentioned many times how much I love my iPhone. I can let go of the fact that I don't have a tactile keyboard because there are so many cool apps that I can add to my iPhone to customize it. Here's a few new ones I have or might be getting:Read It Later - This is also a Firefox Add-On. Anytime you like something online that you want to read you put a check mark by it and Read It Later stores it at the top of your toolbar in a little app/folder. It makes more sense for one time articles, etc. that you don't want to bookmark or put into Evernote. The iPhone app allows you to read the articles from your list online on your iPhone. It's free.

Yowza - This free app uses your location (via the GPS) to see what retailers have coupons in your area. The coupons can be scanned right from your iPhone. This is a totally genius idea and was created by (with 2 other guys) actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Felicity, etc.). Greg has a big online presence and is very into Twitter. He's very passionate about work, his app and Twitter. If you want to check him out on Twitter, click here.

Around Me - I just got this and have seen a few other free apps like it, but I like this best. This utilizes your location (via GPS) to see where you are and then it shows you where all kinds of useful stuff is nearby (coffee, gas stations, ATM, etc.).

Birdhouse - This is a Twitter related app. It allows you to store ideas for tweets, if they aren't ready to send yet. It's sort of like a little tweet draft folder. This is the only one I don't yet have. It only costs a few bucks, but I tend to tweet more from my computer. If you do tweet from your phone often, I think it would be a cool app to have and it's only a few bucks.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

I often get asked for recommendations of all sorts in my work life and outside of it. I think when you are a personal assistant (and until my writing pays the bills that's what I am) you end up being the de facto personal assistant for everyone you know. I don't mind it most of the time because I enjoy sharing info and being helpful. One of the things I get asked for often is travel suggestions. Here's a few things I do to keep myself up-to-date and where I go if I have no info on the place already.

New York Times Travel Section - I always start here because the paper in general does great reporting and if there are any current articles about your destination they are bound to be helpful. It's all totally free and they have a huge backlog of destinations.

I save any best of list about hotels and restaurants into Evernote and constantly look for them online. This 2009 Hotel Gold List from Conde Nast Traveler that is picked by readers is a good one and this 2009 Hotel Hot List from the same mag via a sister site called Concierge is also worth reading. Speaking of that, the Concierge site is another good place that I always check out. I try to keep less paper files these days, but I do buy speciality issues of magazines like CNT that do best of lists.

I will often go to the Fodors and Frommers websites because they have tons of the info from their guides on their sites for free. That being said, if I am doing in depth research for a boss or going on a trip I will always buy at least one book, so that I can go nuts with a highlighter and post-its (speaking of that, this highlighter post-it combo is the best thing ever).

Hipguide - I also like this site that has updates on hotels, restaurants, etc. in variety of cities.

Even though this isn't original I will always check out Daily Candy and save various ones I get via email that pertain to travel and restaurants.

Tasting Table - I'm really liking this site that I got into recently. It has info on bars and restaurants in a few different cities.

This site is good for restaurants in Los Angeles.Chowhound is always a good resource for restaurants.

I also love the books and online database from Not For Tourists that covers a variety of cities.

Truth be told, this probably isn't all of what I use, but it's a nice little bit to get you started.

Today the focus is yummy treats in NYC to send to those you love with a sweet tooth. Here's a few of my favs:

Eli Zabar Pound Cake - This comes in a few flavors, but I think the marble loaf one is best. They also have other sweets and gift basket ideas.

Levain Bakery Cookies - I know more than one person who thinks they are the best cookies they have ever had. I think they are pretty good and they sure look fantastic in the pics.Chocolate Bar NYC Retro Bars - These come in insane flavors like Key Lime and are really delicious.

Here's a random selection of tech tips this am to get your day started:

I'm a big Firefox nerd. If you get me started on how much I don't like Internet Explorer and how much better Firefox works, it's going to be a while before I shut up. If I had Mac (I know, I know nobody can believe I have a PC) I would probably be fine with Safari, but for now me and the fox are fast friends. One of the great things about Firefox is that there are a million free add ons you can install to customize it. One of my favorites is the IE tab add on that allows you to open an IE tab within Firefox. Unfortunately there are a few websites that only work well or at all with IE and this saves me from having to launch and use IE separately.

This morning, Lifehacker (one of my favorite sites) did a post about a site called Comet Docs that can convert all kinds of docs into other types. I will definitely be checking that out further today. It seems like it could be a very handy resource.

I love the iPhone holder I have and people keep asking where it's from, so here's the Foofshop site. The item is called a Foofpod. It's more of a little sleeping bag for my iPhone than a hard shell type case. I had the harder type at first, but I like this much better. They also make similar covers for laptops. I like it because not everyone has it, it was relatively inexpensive and it comes in some cool fabrics.

Lastly, in honor of Earth Day and the idea of recycling, I saw this cool clock on the Etsy site that is made from a hard drive. It would be a great gift for any geek you love.

Monday, April 20, 2009

It's not often that I see a gift that impresses me or makes me go wow, but when I saw this little item on the Etsy site it struck me as a really unusual, simple, romantic idea anyone could use for Valentine's Day or an anniversary. This little gift is inexpensive and something you might do instead of a card or a love note, but it's a special item that would likely be meaningful. I have said many times on this blog that having a huge gift budget often isn't what makes or breaks a gift. It's more important to be thoughtful and give the person something that will touch their heart.

Friday, April 17, 2009

One key thing to do in order to thrive and be creative is to get of out of your own way. A good way to do this is to try and let go of the fear that holds most of us back. Now anyone who knows me will tell you that I still have more work to do this area (truthfully we all do), but any work you can do to chip away at your fear will help. Late last year, a good friend of mine convinced me I could write a spec episode of How I Met Your Mother after I told him jokingly that I had an idea for the show. I immediately went into fear mode and said no way and how I've only ever written feature scripts. I went on and on about not having an ear for tv even though I love it (esp How I Met Your Mother). Even once I agreed to write it and have this friend help me, I complained and wanted to quit for the first few weeks because I was scared and it was hard. That spec is finished now and I'm so glad I got out of my own way. Lots of people think it might be the best thing I've ever written. It might even be the thing that will get me a manager and allow me to break through if I write another, but it never would have happened if I hadn't faced my fear and moved past it.

This video of entrepreneur and author Tim Ferriss is all about forcing yourself to face your fears head on and how much it can bring to your life if you do. It's not that long and I really think it's a valuable thing to watch. It will make you fundamentally rethink how to behave when you are afraid. Tim's best known for his book the 4 Hour Work Week, if you want to check it out. He also has a blog.

Watch the video and then force yourself to do something creative that scares you over the weekend.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

One thing that is crucial as a personal assistant, writer or really any job at all (but especially in entertainment) is that you must adapt or die. It's imperative that you you stay on the cutting edge or you will be left behind. There are a couple of important ways to do this:

1) Stay Up-To-Date & Interested in the World:

As I have stated multiple times, you have to stay current on what's going on in the world and that doesn't just mean Variety, EW, Gawker and Deadline Hollywood Daily. It means you need to listen to NPR, watch CNN, read blogs or magazines on a variety of topics (technology, fashion, etc.). Even if you aren't that into things like technology, you can't be left behind on where the world is headed. Even if you aren't into Twitter, read about it, know what it is and sign up to follow a few people and/or tweet. You don't have to be crack addicted like I am, but you need to be in the loop.

2) Network Online and Offline:

This is a deal breaker for your career, if you won't do it. Especially in this economy you just have no choice. I didn't want to join Facebook, but I'm looking for a job and trying to build a writing career, so I did it. Join Linked In even if you aren't currently on the job hunt. Get on popular boards that pertain to your field and answer questions and help people when you can. Make yourself the go to person for specific thing. One way I'm trying to make myself valuable is helping people, sharing knowledge on this blog about gifts, ways to be productive and good at your job. I'm also a writer, but this is one way I can help others. I'm not getting paid, but I'm making new contacts and helping people and you never know where that can lead. As mentioned above, get on twitter or at least check it out. It's a great resource for being in the know and sharing info.

Dana Brunetti/Triggerstreet & Wil Wheaton are great examples of the ability to adapt and thrive because of it. Here's why:

Wil Wheaton - He was once and still is a great actor (his criminal minds ep was an example of that), but when his acting career wasn't as busy as he wanted it to be, he reinvented himself as a fantastic blogger (when nobody really even had coined that phrase yet) and writer. He writes columns, books, he blogs, he's HUGE on twitter (over 400,000 followers) and much more. I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it. He went out and created an additional career path. He adapted instead of feeling sorry for himself.

Dana Brunetti/Triggerstreet - Dana Brunetti was once Kevin Spacey's assistant. Since I have done that type of job and know what it requires, it doesn't surprise me at all that he and Kevin's company have succeeded. Personal assistants tend to be resourceful and creative types. He now runs Kevin's company and it has thrived because he has constantly adapted and changed, so that the company is always in touch with what's current. They created Triggerstreet (a online community for writers, filmmakers, etc.), he does a video podcast, he's on Twitter and he got Kevin on Twitter. As a production company, they have made smaller, more heartfelt movies like Fanboys and studio movies like 21 (that was based on this Wired article and Ben Mezrich's great book Bringing Down the House -- see people read interesting stuff, it helps). By keeping himself and the company on the cutting edge he has kept them thriving for a long time.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I'm not easily impressed, but I really like an online gift store I recently came across called Violet. The site is easy to use, the gifts are chic and the price point on most of the items isn't that high. You would be surprised how much most sites for gifts are all the same and have very few unique ideas. I'm excited to have a fresh site with cool ideas to utilize.

No, I'm not talking about Kermit! I recently read about these cool invitesfrom Botanical Paperworks that you plant in a pot of soil after you receive them and the seeds will grow into various wildflowers. The paper is also made from 100% post-consumer waste, so they are eco-friendly all the way. These could be great for any invite, but would be really cute for garden party.

Monday, April 13, 2009

When you're trying to be creative (with gifts, writing, etc.), one thing you can do is try and take inspiration from those people around you who excel at what they do. Don't copy them, but let their spark and style motivate you to come up with something great on your own.

Some time back I mentioned this piece called Bad Bank that aired on This American Life. I really loved it and it's about the banking crisis! It's informative and actually very funny. It helped me to really understand that if you are clever enough and approach it the right way, you can even make something like the banking crisis interesting to listen to. It's possible to have people crack up and learn at the same time if you're a good enough writer.

Another writer that I love and look to for inspiration is Joel Stein (he writes for the Los Angeles Times and Time). He has a way of taking even the most mundane topic and making it hysterically funny. He's always willing to put himself out there (the funny video pieces that accompany the columns in Time are evidence of this) and even embarrass himself a little in the name of great writing and comedy.

Joel has an innate charm that helps with his writing, but the thing that really makes him stand out is that he is willing to just go for it and not worry about what others think. It makes for pieces with a fresh, funny and honest voice and I dare anyone not to like them. I know it sounds cliche, but learn from this and find a way to put a piece of yourself in what you do creatively and it will make a difference.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Coffee gifts are great and I have suggested one or two, but sometimes you have a friend or a boss that isn't into the cup o' joe and if that's the case, don't fret. If that person likes tea, you have a million choices to pick from. A few unique ideas are below:

I have always liked Tea Forte. These tea bags beautiful and the teas taste great. The price point isn't bad, so you can get someone a nice little gift and not break the bank.

This tea store in Beverly Hills is also online and has a tremendous selection of tea and tea pots from all over the world. Not everything here is expensive, but if you want to do something a bit more luxe you can certainly find ways to spend your money here and end up with a fantastic gift. I gave one of my bosses who was very into tea a gift from here and he loved it.

If you want some honey to send with your tea, I have two unusual ideas:

Over the weekend, I saw this honey flight and I flipped over it. It has 9 little bottles of different types of honey. The packaging is really special and I bet it also tastes amazing.

Another option is Honibe - non-sticky disks of honey that allow you get all of the flavor and none of the mess.

Friday, April 10, 2009

While you are trying to make it big and get an agent, a good way to get attention for whatever you are doing online (webisodes, blog, etc.) is to submit yourself for sites and daily e-mails that are looking for people to feature. The Film News Briefs daily e-mail (which is great and a good alternative to reading the entire trades when you don't have time -- she consolidates it all) has a daily site that they suggest and also the Pop Candy Blog (a fantastic pop culture blog you should be reading) on the USA Today website allows you to submit yourself for Reader of the Day and if you get picked they post a profile of you that includes links to your site, twitter, etc. If you want to see what it looks like, I was featured today:

A week or so ago I did a post regarding cupcakes in New York and my opinion on who I thought was best. Today New York Magazine reviewed a bunch of different cupcake places in NY and here are the results. Check it out.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

I guess this is the week for mostly food themed blog posts. Just one semi short post today, because I'm job searching, writing and I have a Passover dinner to go to at a YUMMY deli (formal seder was last night). In the last day or so I came across a couple of new food gift ideas/sites that I thought seemed pretty unique and well, ummmm Delicious!! Here they are:

Charles Chocolates in a Signature Chocolate Box - This is truly one of the most beautiful chocolate gifts I have ever seen. The box that holds the chocolates is EDIBLE and there's a beautiful design on the top. I know someone who got this and she said they were delicious.

Igourmet - I read about this website a few days ago and was impressed by the extensive collection of higher end gourmet foods that they sell. They seem to also have an amazing amount of cheese related items as well. This might be my next go to place for a gourmet gift basket, if I'm not doing it locally.Berkshire Bark Pretzelogical Chocolate Bar - These are somewhat hard to find (which of course makes me want to try it more). They have milk and dark chocolate, homemade caramel, pretzels and peanut butter in them. I was only able to find them online by the case, but the case isn't that expensive and it might be a fun thing to order to add to a wrap gift, a gift bag or a birthday gift.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I often talk about being curious and how it's important to watch and read things that will inform you in different ways because you just never know when you might utilize it. I recently discovered Samantha Ettus who does a cool web show called Obsessed TV (which features my favorite Wine Library TV guy Gary Vaynerchuk in the last few minutes of each episode). On the show Samantha interviews people in every conceivable field you can imagine and it makes for pretty interesting viewing. She does her research, but she also manages to keep the interview relaxed, so that her guests really feel comfortable and open up. Samantha also wrote the book Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster and we all know how excited I get about making things more efficient.

Check them both out. It's always a good idea to expand your knowledge and become more informed. You never know how it might help you and along the way you learn some interesting stuff.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

One idea you can use if you are going to do a special gift for someone is to pick a theme and have it run throughout the gift. My sister, for instance, LOVES ice cream. You would never know by looking at her (she runs marathons, etc.), but this is what I mean when I talk about learning what you can't see on the surface about people (obviously she is my sister, so it's different, but the point is the same). Anyway, she got married last year and so for her engagement and shower gifts I used ice cream for the theme and it turned out great. Here's what I did:

1) For her engagement we got her custom ice cream from Ecreamery . You get to pick out the contents and name the ice cream. We called my sister's ice cream Jill Said Yes Crunch. I wanted to call it Chocolately Ever After, but it wouldn't fit. My sister said the ice cream was truly incredible. This isn't cheap, but it is truly an unusual and special gift that someone will adore.

For her wedding gift, I went outside of the theme because there was something specific she wanted.

I was also able to integrate the theme into the toast she had me do. Instead of doing a normal toast, I wrote her and her now husband their love story as an ice cream fairy tale where she realizes he is the man for her because she loves him even more than ice cream. The reason this theme/idea worked as well as it did is because I used my ears (to listen), my creativity and my love for my sister to inspire me to doing something really unique. I challenge you to do the same.

This post is a hodgepodge of sorts. Just to get you inspired to think of a few out of the box gift ideas of your own, I'm going to share a few recent ones I have given or intend to give soon. Check them out and let them get your mind brainstorming ideas for yourself or your boss that will be more dynamic and fun for the recipient.Food Chain Friends - This gift for kids recently won an award, but I'm picking it because it's fun, kind of crazy and for the right kid it will be a total home run.

Platine Cookie of the Month Club - If you read this blog at all, you know I love to give food gifts, but I rarely like to do the same old thing. I love gift of the month clubs (if your budget is a bit bigger) and this cookie of the month looks pretty good.Fashionology - If your boss wants you to come up with a great idea for his/her little girl or you have a niece you adore with picky taste that only wants the new, fun thing - this is for you! This is a local store where you can go and essentially design your own clothing items with the available options they have to pick from. It now looks like you can also do it online.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Reqall - This is a productivity/to do list type manager for the iPhone (there is also a web app portion). For the past couple of years I've been using Vitalist, but I think the love affair might be over and I might be moving in with the app I'm cheating with. The main version of his app is free and it's full of cool features. There's also an upgrade available. David Pogue, one of my favorite tech gurus from the NY Times reviewed it recently.

If you often sit with your laptop on your lap and worry about what all that heat is doing to do - YOU should. Here's a cool list of products that help to fix that problem. Get it, cool list - emphasis on cool :). This blog would be funnier if I had a house band and the drummer could do a rim shot after my bad jokes.

Also, Gmail recently made searching through your e-mails more simple, check it out here.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Oy another title of my own creation that I cringed at, but it works, so what am I going to do. Sorry posting has been light. There's been a flurry of job stuff and in a bit I'm heading off to another interview, so this is it for today. I'm kinda having a bad day, so it will cheer me up to feel useful to anyone reading this blog.

I did a posting last week about cupcakes in NYC and how you don't always have to go with the most popular place that everyone always uses, as it doesn't always mean it is the best. Even if the top choice is great, it's good to mix it up and send someone something surprising. In this town you say cupcakes to most people and often they think of Sprinkles. Sprinkles Cupcakes are good, but probably not my favorite, so I'm going to list them and a few others for you to check out (including 2 that have valley locations):

Advice From A Personal Assistant In The Media

Subscribe To

About Me

I'm a personal/executive assistant and writer that has worked for a variety of people (ranging from famous actors to Silicon Valley execs). I started this blog because people are always asking me about gift ideas, technology (because I'm also a bit geeky), how to find items or info that seems like it can't be found and a variety of other things. I thought it might be helpful for assistants and others to have all this info in one place. You can also follow me on Twitter (@Goldsteinkaren) If you want to send in a question that I can post and answer or talk to me about a writing job, please email me at karengoldstein@gmail.com